The sport of golf requires extensive practice in order to improve one's game. Thus, most golfers will practice hitting golf balls off of the ground or a tee to enhance such characteristics as distance the ball travels and accuracy in placing the ball. Repeatedly hitting golf balls is also a beneficial exercise for improving one's golfing stance, particularly for beginners initially learning how to play golf.
Although a golfer can practice hitting golf balls in a variety of settings that have the necessary space available, driving ranges are a popular means for allowing golfers to repeatedly practice hitting golf balls in a controlled and safe environment. Most driving ranges will have several stations set up for golfers. The stations typically contain an artificial tee made out of rubber or other resilient material that allow for golf balls to be repeatedly hit off of it without destroying the tee. The tee is usually positioned on artificial turf or simulated grass which allows for the ball to be hit directly off of such surface as well.
When practicing hitting a golf ball, the golfer will take a golf ball from the container of golf balls provided by the driving range, position the golf ball on the tee or turf surface, position themselves into the proper golfing stance and then hit the golf ball. This entire procedure is then repeated until the container of golf balls is empty or the golfer no longer wishes to practice hitting golf balls.
The above procedure, however, has several disadvantages. First, it requires the golfer to manually acquire a golf ball from the container and position it upon the tee. This requires the golfer to repeatedly crouch or bend down both to retrieve a golf ball and to place the golf ball on the tee. Such movement is inconvenient, places unnecessary stresses upon the golfer's body, and for some golfers with disabilities or ailments, impossible or painful.
Second, requiring a golfer to change their position after hitting a ball can be detrimental to the golfer's training. A proper stance is critical to properly hitting a golf ball and many golfers, particularly beginners, focus extensively on obtaining and practicing a proper stance. Many such golfers use a driving range as a means of practicing a correct stance. Thus, after placing a golf ball on the tee, the golfer will attempt to position themselves in a correct stance and then hit the golf ball. However, if the golfer is required to manually place the golf ball on the tee after hitting a ball, a golfer who achieved the correct stance will then be forced to move out of that stance in order to position the next golf ball on the tee. The golfer must then attempt to obtain a correct stance all over again rather than practice hitting several golf balls in a row from a correct stance.
In an effort to overcome these disadvantages, mechanized golf ball dispensers have been developed. However, the configuration of many of these golf ball dispensers makes them expensive or problematic. For example, in order to be effective, the golf ball dispenser should be able to store and dispense a large number of golf balls. The configuration of the golf ball dispenser, however, must ensure that the stored golf balls do not congregate in a manner that prevents them from descending to the dispensing mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,004 issued to Vlahovic depicts a golf ball dispenser in which the golf balls are stored in a bowl positioned above the dispensing assembly. The golf balls travel from the bowl to the dispensing assembly via a vertical tube. Storing golf balls in such an arrangement, however, could easily result in the golf balls bunching together and blocking the tube opening leading to the dispensing assembly, thereby preventing any golf balls from reaching the dispensing assembly.
Another disadvantage of some prior art golf ball dispensers is that they employ their own fixed tee. An example of this design is U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,130 issued to Eagan. This patent relates to a device that dispenses a golf ball so that it rests upon the dispenser's own fixed tee. However, the stations at most driving ranges include a tee. Thus, a golf ball dispenser with its own fixed tee interferes with the use of a dispenser at a driving range. Additionally, golfers may also desire to practice hitting golf balls off of the ground and thus, not want to position the golf ball on a tee. A golf ball dispenser with a fixed tee is not appropriate for such swings.
Another disadvantage of many prior art golf ball dispensers is their complexity. In addition to adding to the cost of the dispensers, complex dispensers or dispensers with many moving parts increases the risk of failure and misuse as well as lead to higher maintenance costs for the dispenser.
Some prior art golf ball dispensers have a further disadvantage in that they are difficult to operate for either a right or left handed golfer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,614 issued to Tange discloses a golf ball dispenser in which the golfer begins the process of placing a golf ball on a tee by activating a trigger pad. The golf ball delivery chute is positioned at one end of the golf ball dispenser while the trigger pad is positioned at the opposite end of the golf ball dispenser. Thus, in order to activate the trigger pad a right handed golfer must extend across his or her body to reach the trigger pad. This could be awkward for the golfer and potentially cause the golfer to unintentionally strike the delivery chute or other portion of the golf ball dispenser.
Finally, another disadvantage of many prior art golf ball dispensers is the jazz limited number of environments in which they can be used. Many prior art golf ball dispensers either deposit the golf ball onto a fixed tee that is integrated into the golf ball dispenser itself or deposit the golf ball through a hole directly onto the ground. However, golfers would have a desire to use an automatic golf ball dispenser not only in a driving range where a fixed tee is available but also in less controlled, but more realistic environments, such as in a golfer's back yard where no fixed tee is provided. As mentioned previously, however, if a golf ball dispenser includes a fixed tee, it can be difficult to use such a dispenser in a driving range which typically already includes a fixed tee.
On the other hand, a golf ball dispenser that does not incorporate a fixed tee would have limited applicability in an environment outside of a driving range. Without a fixed tee, a golfer would be required to properly position a new tee every time the golfer wishes to hit a golf ball. Such a requirement negates much of the advantages achieved from a mechanized golf ball dispenser.
Thus, a need exists for an automated golf ball dispenser that has the capacity to hold a multiple of golf balls in an arrangement that does not lead to the golf balls jamming the pathway to the dispenser assembly. A need also exists for a golf ball dispenser that is adaptable for use with or without a fixed tee. A need also exists for a golf ball dispenser that is relatively simple in configuration as well as operation. A need also exists for a golf ball dispenser that has little maintenance requirements. Finally, a need exists for a golf ball dispenser that is equally accessible to both right and left hand golfers.
The present invention accomplishes all the above goals through the use of a golf ball dispenser and teeing apparatus with several unique characteristics. These characteristics include a configuration that prevents jamming of the golf balls, a simplified dispensing activation and placement assembly and a configuration adaptable for use in a variety of environments.